Indonesia Urges France to Expand Trade Beyond Military Sector

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, revealed that Indonesia’s procurement of military equipment from France has reached 11 billion euros, equivalent to Rp 194 trillion (exchange rate Rp 17,645 per euro). In light of this, Indonesia has urged France to expand its trade cooperation into other sectors.

This request was conveyed by Airlangga during a bilateral meeting with France's Minister of Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Eric Lombard, on Wednesday (March 5) in France.

“Minister Airlangga emphasized that such a significant purchase of military equipment should be accompanied by an expansion of France’s trade cooperation with Indonesia in other sectors,” read an official statement from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, quoted on Friday (March 7, 2025).

Responding to this request, Lombard stated that France sees significant potential to increase its investment in Indonesia. Some of the prospective projects include a hydrogen initiative in Sumba by HDF Energy in collaboration with PT PLN (Persero), satellite industry investments through Thales, and railway infrastructure development.

“France will prepare its financing schemes. Additionally, Minister Lombard also mentioned cooperation on LRT infrastructure in Bandung,” the statement added.

Both parties agreed to enhance bilateral relations to drive economic growth in both nations.

“This bilateral meeting reaffirms the commitment of both countries to strengthening economic partnerships. The 75th anniversary of Indonesia-France diplomatic relations this year is expected to serve as an opportunity to launch new collaborative programs between the two nations,” Airlangga stated.

Temukan berita dan artikel lainnya di Google News